Question

Given the recursive formula for the arithmetic sequence a1=−5
, an=an−1+4
, find the first three terms of the sequence.(2 points)
a1=
, a2=
, and a3=
Remaining Attempts

Answer 1

To find the first three terms of the arithmetic sequence defined by the recursive formula:

1. **First term**: The first term \( a_1 \) is given as:
\[
a_1 = -5
\]

2. **Second term**: To find the second term \( a_2 \), we use the recursive formula:
\[
a_2 = a_{1} + 4 = -5 + 4 = -1
\]

3. **Third term**: Now we calculate the third term \( a_3 \) using the recursive formula again:
\[
a_3 = a_{2} + 4 = -1 + 4 = 3
\]

Thus, the first three terms of the sequence are:
- \( a_1 = -5 \)
- \( a_2 = -1 \)
- \( a_3 = 3 \)

Therefore:
\[
\text{a1} = -5, \quad \text{a2} = -1, \quad \text{a3} = 3
\]